Oil for rice barter system soon - Agriculture Minister

Ishara MUDUGAMUWA

Sri Lanka can use a barter system to exchange rice for oil in three to four years, said Agriculture Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.

Participating in the Post Harvest Technology Institute Research Symposium yesterday at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Minister Abeywardena said that the country can overcome all its difficulties within the next few years.

“Sri Lanka is self-sufficient in rice. We will take measures to exchange our rice with Middle Eastern countries. India exchanges gold for oil. Though we can live without gold, we cannot live without fuel. In future there will be a huge demand for food.

Our President Mahinda Rajapaksa always encourage us to grow our own food. "Today, every part of Sri lanka is ours. So we should get maximum use of every inch of land. The President advised us not to stop food production for any reason. He provide funds without hesitation. Though we have a surplus of food, we should cultivate more.

We will be able to help other countries which face food shortages. Most of the countries will have to face a food crisis. Due to the climate change, a majority of the people will not be able to produce food. We have already provided 500 metric tons of paddy to the World Food Programme.

"When we are trying to progress on our own,certain Western forces are trying to destroy our plans. They are on a campaign to destroy all our wishes. They are trying to destroy our future. Sri Lankans are ready to defeat all theses forces. It is our nature. We never kneel before the West",the minister said. "Powerful countries always try to destroy food producing countries. Some powerful countries who making false aalegations against Sri Lanka are responsible for the deaths of thousands of people. But they never talk about any humans rights violations. Darusman accuses us of rights violations, but never talks about what happened to Libya or Iraq.